The present invention relates to air conditioning units having an evaporator section and a condenser section within one unit. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for achieving a positive seal around refrigerant carrying tubes passing through an opening in a partition dividing an air conditioning unit into an indoor section and outdoor section.
Air conditioning units such as the so called self-contained air conditioning units commonly used for residential and similar applications generally include closed refrigeration circuits having an evaporator and a condenser. The unit is normally divided by a partition into an evaporator section and a condenser section, the evaporator section communicating with the room air to be conditioned and the condenser section communicating with external air such as outdoor air. Refrigerant flows through a refrigerant circuit absorbing heat from the room air at the evaporator and discharging heat energy to the external air at the condenser. The conventional refrigeration circuit is completed by the addition of a compressor, an expansion device and the appropriate connections between the components.
In the evaporator section air is drawn through the evaporator by the evaporator fan and subsequently discharged into the room. In the evaporator the refrigerant changes from a liquid state to gaseous state absorbing heat energy from the room air being circulated thereover. The gaseous refrigerant from the evaporator is returned to the compressor wherein its pressure and temperature are increased. The evaporator is located in the indoor section and the compressor is located in the outdoor section. From the compressor hot gaseous refrigerant flows through the condenser wherein it is cooled to change state from a gas to a liquid. Heat energy is discharged to ambient air being circulated over the condenser by the condenser fan. This liquid refrigerant is then conducted through the partition dividing the unit into the indoor and the outdoor sections back to the indoor coil or evaporator to complete the refrigeration circuit.
In a conventional room air conditioning unit the condenser and compressor being the heat discharging components are located in that portion of the unit, the outdoor section, wherein heat energy is discharged to the ambient air. The evaporator and evaporator fan are located in the indoor section of the unit for absorbing heat energy from the air to be cooled. In a conventional room air conditioning unit it is necessary to have two refrigerant line connections between the indoor section and the outdoor section. An interconnecting line between the condenser and the evaporator and the suction line from the evaporator to the compressor are both required to pass through the partition.
In order to reduce energy costs and improve the efficiency of the unit, improving the overall performance of an air conditioning unit has achieved high priority. One method of improving performance is to reduce the internal energy losses in an air conditioning unit including reducing the transfer of heat energy between the outdoor section and the indoor section of a unit. One of the ways in which this heat transfer may occur is by air leakage through the partition at the location where the refrigerant lines extend through the partition. The requirement to reduce such transfer of energy becomes even more important in an air conditioner design wherein the outdoor condensing section of the unit by virtue of its design is pressurized and therefore may further encourage the loss of energy between the outdoor and indoor section.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,346,568 entitled Method And Apparatus For Securing Tubes In An Air Conditioning Unit is assigned to the assignee of the present invention and is directed to providing a partition opening through which the refrigerant lines may pass. It provides a tube seal formed from an expanded cellular foam having slots to mount the tube seal to the partition at the opening. The tube seal additionally has a center slit for receiving the refrigerant carrying tubes and securing them there between.
It an object of the present invention to provide a tube seal which may be applied directly to the tubes prior to assembly to the unit and inserted through a molded opening to affect an effective seal in the partition separating inside and outside section of a room air conditioner.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an inexpensive seal which prevents migration of air between the inside and outside section and also insulates the refrigerant tubing.